Improve Web Site Rankings In Only 48 Hours

I was recently asked if the claims of achieving top 10 rankings in only 48 hours is possible. There are a number of web site services that offer such "amazing" results. Here's how they do it.

1. They find a keyword phrase that is related to your website that isn't very competitive. Keyword research makes the difference here. You're not going to get top ten rankings for highly competitive terms.

2. Leveraging existing sites. When third parties link to your website, it boosts the ranking of your site on search result lists. Companies offering these services have well established sites they use to begin improving the ranking of your website.

3. Other inbound links. In addition to adding links from their own properties, these sites leverage directories, press releases, and article distribution sites to improve your ranking.

The real issue I have here is that if a company is going to improve where you rank for certain keywords, great. However, if those keywords aren't competitive, won't generate traffic or create the targeted visitors you need, then it's not worth it. Think about this fact before you spend your hard earned money on some seo service.

New: I've started offering SEO training for small to medium sized businesses. Learn more at MarketingScoop.com.

Optimize More Than Your Webpage

Have you ever considered optimizing more than your web page? I've received quite a few questions of late regarding optimization of images for Google's universal and/or image search so I thought I'd address them here.

First of all, to my knowledge, there's no real way to submit your images so you're going to have to optimize them and let Google do the work for you. Here are a few basic guidelines.

1. Make your images large enough. Google seems to favor larger images (above 25o pixels).

2. Label your images correctly. Be sure to put your keyword in the alt text. This helps Google identify the image properly.

3. Make sure the image is related to the content on your page. The content on your page also helps Google determine what the image is about.

4. Place a few other images on the same page. You don't want to pack your pages with too many images but at the same time, help Google by telling them your page isn't not some random attempt at getting a single image indexed.. include a few.

Follow these basic techniques and you'll be optimizing more than just a web page. Images are great for attracting users to your website or blog so give it a try.

Improve Rankings With Paid Links

I'm not a big fan of paid links, but when all else fails, new options look better. I promote links to other web sites on my own web sites and blogs. This is a great way to earn additional income from my web properties and provides other websites with in-bound links from well established sites that carry a Google PR ranking.

...still with me?

Said another way, building links to a web site helps the web site come up higher in search rankings. One of the ways that sites get inbound links is through link exchanges or buying one-way links. The concept of buying links became an issue when Google announced they would penalize sites that were purchasing links.

The link bartering companies have gotten smart now. It's easier than ever to purchase one way links that are manually placed on web sites. This makes buying links more viable than ever. So, if you have it in your budget, and you have the right broker, buying links is now an option in my opinion. However, I do recommend that you exhaust all other opportunities before spending your money.

Social Media and SEO

Can social media help you with your search engine optimization? Only if you're focused on building links. I've been getting a lot of questions lately about social media and how to use it to build rankings and drive traffic to websites.

Personally I think that there is a place for social media with regard to generating both traffic and search rankings. Anyone interested in the power of social media need look no further than Squidoo to find "lenses" ranked in the top 10 positions on Google for competitive search terms and phrases.

Top rankings however aren't going to social media sites alone. Traditional sites still reign supreme. However, by developing groups, pages, lenses, etc., you can improve your ranking. Develop a lense for example and link to your website or page you're trying to promote. In addition, use blogs to promote your services and focus on building links.

Social media can be great for generating traffic and creating awareness. Consider your own behavior on social media sites and determine the best steps for moving forward. Add your comments to this post and share your social media marketing secrets with others...

Original Content Rules the Day

One of the most powerful things you can do to help improve the rankings of your website is to develop original content on a regular basis. A number of websites re-purpose existing content and expect their websites to be ranked in the first position on Google.

The reality is that today's top ranking websites, regardless of niche, publishes original content. Test out this theory and you'll find original content that is created by the website itself or through viral means.

It's essential to consider original content. If this seems burdensome, consider using an article writing service. You can also use Elance or a different service to find individuals who can write your articles for you. If you're interested in the do-it-yourself option, I recommend Unique Article Pro.

Don't underestimate the power of unique content. If you don't want to produce it on your own, ask your website visitors for some. You'd be surprised at how many people are willing to provide content for your website - as long as you provide an author mention or link back to their website or blog.

How To Reach The Top of Google

Google is it. If you can achieve the number one position on Google, you'll get all of the organic traffic you need for success. As a result, billions of dollars are spent each year on search engine optimization and web site development.

Improving your ranking is a journey. Whether you have a website or are planning on building one, you have to consider what resources you need for ranking on top. The good news is that no matter where you are today, it is possible to generate positive results online.

Two areas of focus: On page optimization and Off page optimization. To really make a significant impact on search results, you must focus on what you're doing on your web pages as well as off. Start by analyzing your own website and determining if SEO best practices are being followed.

Once you've made sure that your site is grounded in SEO fundamentals, focus on off page optimization. Off page is really all about building links to your web site. Start building links and you'll achieve the results you're looking for.